voodoo doll // c.hood

18; drunken rage

C A L U M

"...and then we went for a walk down the beach, stopping where no one could see or hear us." I tell Luke as we wait in the locker room for coach to call us to training, smiling and blushing as I remember the rather fond moments of mine and Amity's first date. Luke was listening carefully as he nodded along to what I was saying. "Then, I told her how I feel about her and then we kissed," I blush but I don't know why. It's not like Luke and I haven't shared this kind of stuff before. "Not just like little peck but a more passionate kiss, and it was longer too."

As I shimmied into a training shirt, Luke smiled cheekily at me and did some weird movements with his eyebrows.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing." He bends down to tie his shoe laces. When he sits back up, he says, "It's just that you really like her, don't you?" He nudged me with his elbow, raising his eye brows up and down and repeating the words "don't you".

"Yeah," I smile to the ground, "I really do." I slip on my shoes, bending down to tie them up when Luke gives me a pat on the back.

"ALRIGHT TEAM!" The coach calls, his booming voice echoing throughout the locker rooms. "OUT ON THE FIELD FOR SOME WARM UP LAPS!" He orders.

Luke and I jump up out of our seats and head for the field. We jog behind the rest of the team so I would be able to elaborate on what happened the day after our date.

"So because the date went so well, I invited her over to my place the next day to just hang out."

"Not to...you know?" He suggests.

"No! It was as I said, just hanging out." I exaggerate so he gets the point. "Anyway, she rocks up and I invite her in. I give her a tour of the house and then offer her something to eat or drink-"

"ONE MORE LAP GUYS!" The coach yells.

"So while I made her up some popcorn, she sat in my room." I state, taking a break to breath. Luke still jogs quietly and nods along, signalling that he understands what I am saying.

"So I bring her the popcorn and she is sitting politely on my bed, in other words she looked uncomfortable and out of place."

"BRING IT IN TEAM." Coach calls us in to tell us the next warm up drill. "Okay, very simple. Just find a partner and practicing passing to each other, got it? Alright, go."

Luke and I pair up and continue our conversation as we pass to each other. We situate our selves at an end of the field to be as far away as possible from the other team mates.

"So I asked her if she was okay and she sorta said no and started crying. It was about her and her friend having a fight. She buried her face into my chest so I just hugged her and told her that I was here for her."

"You're such a good lad," Luke says, kicking me the ball, and I can't tell if he is joking or not so I just continue with the story.

"To make her feel better, I started to tickle her. She was laughing so hard, she was out of breath. I didn't expect her to fight back and tickle me!" I exclaim, passing the ball back to Luke. "So she sat on top of me and tickled me. I begged for her to stop so she did. Instead, she blew raspberries across my chest."

"How old are you guys? Like 10?" He jokes.

"Hey!" I say defensively, "it was fun. I haven't finished yet."

He rolls his eyes, "go on then."

"So while she was blowing raspberries on me, my mum walks in!"

"No way!" Luke laughs.

"Yeah! It looked so bad, and I may or may not have been half naked..."

"What!?!" He exclaims, "why?!"

"Dude, it was hot as hell on the weekend. You can't blame me for not wanting to wear a shirt." I shrug.

"Mate, that is classic. What happened?"

"Mum scared her off, and I haven't seen her since."

"Really? She hasn't been to school all week?" He asks.

"She hasn't been here at all." The miserable feeling overcomes me as I strike the ball with my foot. It goes off target and and crashes into Luke's stomach. He hunches over in agony.

"Man, you better not be passing like that the next game. That scout from that posh university in the city is coming down and everything has to go smoothly." He stresses.

"Wait, the scout is coming this game? As in the game this week? As in the game which is only a couple of days away? As in-"

"Yes! As in that game!"

"Shit.... I had no clue." I hold my hands on my face and let out a long groan.

I remove my hands to see Luke leaning on one leg with the ball tucked tightly under his arm. In the distance, a strange guy in dark jeans and a hoodie. He seemed to be stumbling across the field, swaying from side to side.

"Hey, who's that guy? Over there, by the end of the field." I point in the direction of the strange guy.

Luke swivels his head around to where I directed him. "Um," he takes a moment to think, "isn't it that kid Mitchell or Mike or something?"

"I think it's Michael." I recognise his pale complexion and brightly coloured hair as he moves closer towards us. "I think he is high...or maybe drunk?"

"Probably both," Luke snickers.

"I wonder what he is doing?" I state, confused by his appearance out on the field. I continue to stare in his direction, phased by why he would even still be at school.

"Who cares?" Luke places the ball down and attempts to do some cool trick when passing it to me but fails and it slowly rolls towards me from his poor kick. I stop the foot with the base off my foot.

"Watch a master at work," I put on a fake, snobby accent.

I flick the ball up toward me and proceed to kick it straight up, kicking from not only in front but behind as well. After showing off, I kick the ball with a mighty force to Luke and he catches it at chest level. His eyes are wide open and his mouth is slight parted as he stared at the ball in shock.

"Bravo you fucking show off," I hear a slurred voice sarcastically growl from behind Luke. "I always knew you'd be one of those cocky jock kind of guys." Michael emerges from behind Luke and clapped sardonically.

Luke and I remained silent as the awkward tension built up between the three of us.

"What? Got nothing to say, huh?" He mutters, trying to intimidate me. Michael steps towards me, making me now able to smell his alcohol ridden stench.

"Good, cause I got a lot to say to you." His words slur together and his shoves me quite lightly with his index finger. I step back as he does, creating move space between us.

"You," he starts off, "you have taken the love of my life away from me."

"Excuse me?" I ask.

"Amity! I mean Amity, you prick." His words sound sloppy. "She makes my heart all like, happy and stuff. But now she has fallen under the spell of the shining soccer star, Mr Calum Hood. Just like every other girl at this freaking school!" He waves his hands and sticks out his tongue.

"I did not 'take' her. You pushed her away. You can't just blame me."

"Oi, are you getting smart with me?" He sputters out nonsense. "Because I'll clock you one mate."

I look over to Luke in disbelief, "What is this kid even on about?"

"You've changed her!" He yells.

"What?" I say, still confused by the situation.

"Amity! You dick! Since being with you, she has changed around me and I don't like it one fucking bit!" He raises his voice.

"Look, Michael, there is no need to yell or you'll attract unwanted attention from the coach and get in trouble," I warn him.

"Don't you try to use some lame excuse to calm me down. You are the one that has taken the only good thing that was keeping me alive, and- and- and- I need her so much. You don't even appreciate how much she is worth. She is worth more then diamonds and jewels.....and I let her go." He begins to tear up, his voice croaking as he speaks.

I take a step near him, place a hand on his should and try to console him. "This can all be fixed, mate. You can get her back and I know she misses you too."

He swats my hand off my shoulder violently. "Don't act like you want everyone to be happy and that you want to solve out friendship. I bet your fucking loving the fact that she comes running to you because she no longer has me. Don't act like the good guy she said you are. Just don't." He snaps.

I raise my hands up in defence. "I'm just trying to keep you out of trouble and help you."

"I don't need your help!" He spits out. "You think you're such a good and caring guy. You put on this front that you aren't the typical self-centred and cocky jock. Well, I see right through your disguise. I know you are so full of yourself and out of all the girls in the school you just had to take away the only one who originally wanted nothing to do with you."

"I don't care what you think about me Michael," I retaliate. "I don't care if you think I'm a cocky jerk. But I know Amity cares for me so I don't give a shit that your special bond has been broken because she has grown closer to me. This isn't my fault and the only one to blame is you."

And then I felt a strong force collide against my jaw. It was Michael's fist. I fall to the ground, blacking out for a few moments. I open my eyes to see Luke and the coach huddle over me and checking to see if I was alive. I touch my jaw where I was struck and there was an open wound. It was really tender, but if left untouched, it felt numb.

I stayed in position, lying back down on the grass. I tune out all sound and commotion and in those moments, I thought of Amity.

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